PREVIEW: Gingrich, Romney in dead heat for Florida prize

By Matthew Rusling Jan 29, 2012, 6:06 GMT

Washington - Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are running a tight race to clinch Tuesday's important Florida primary, with Gingrich leading in polls by a slim margin but Romney showing he can dust himself off and get back in the fight.

Gingrich, the former speaker of the US House of Representatives, has been breathing down Romney's neck, snatching South Carolina from Romney last week, winning with 40 per cent of the vote.

And while the feisty Gingrich's combative debate performances contributed to the victory, his lead over Romney has been whittled down to an average of just 1 percentage point in the latest opinion polls ahead of the Florida vote.

The winner of the state-by-state Republican nomination contest will face President Barack Obama on November 6.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, staged a blistering attack on Gingrich Thursday night in a televised debate, demanding that Gingrich apologize for characterizing him as 'anti-immigrant,' turning back Gingrich's attack on his investments and ridiculing Gingrich's promise to Florida's struggling space industry that he would build a permanent colony on the moon that could even apply for statehood.

A noticeably more aggressive Romney, who has hired a new debate coach, gave Gingrich a tongue lashing, saying 'the idea that I'm anti-immigrant is repulsive.'

'My father was born in Mexico. My wife's father was born in Wales. They came to this country,' he said, recalling his seldom-discussed Mexican roots.

Immigration is among the most important issues going into Tuesday's primary in heavily Latino Florida, which boasts the most ethnically diverse electorate so far in this, the fourth primary battle.

The two leading candidates sought support from diverse groups of Republican voters in Florida as they entered the final weekend of campaigning before the primary, traveling across the state and courting Jewish and Hispanic voters.

Gingrich's debate performance on Thursday faded against his pre-South Carolina combativeness, when he attacked CNN moderator John King for asking him about his second wife's accusations that he had wanted an open marriage.

'I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that,' said a feisty Gingrich, pointing a finger at King, who stood several feet from the podium.

The swipe resonated with conservative voters who often view the US media with suspicion.

Romney, however, is clearly the favorite of the Republican establishment, who believe that Gingrich is to erratic to fulfil the party's goal of unseating Obama. Gingrich has in recent days taken flak from well-known GOP figures such as pundit Ann Counter, who has warned voters to back a candidate who can beat Obama.

'Republicans are looking for someone who would be tough in a presidential debate and capable of winning the general election,' said Darrell West, an expert on US elections and a fellow at Washington think tank the Brookings Institution, in an email to dpa.

Indeed, an NBC-Wall Street Journal poll taken January 22-24 finds that Gingrich would lose to Obama in an election by a wider margin than any other candidate. The survey shows Romney faring the best against Obama of all the Republican candidates, though he, too, is projected to lose against the president.

The Florida prize looms large on the horizon, offering 50 delegate votes to the Republican convention in August. Of the 1,144 delegates needed to win, Gingrich has 23 from his South Carolina win, and Romney has 19 from his win in New Hampshire and strong performance in Iowa. Florida, as one of the larger states, plays a key role in the general elections in November.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who has 3 delegates, and former senator Rick Santorum, who has 13 delegates, are still in the race but limping far behind.

The winner in Florida will get all of the state's 50 convention delegates and momentum leading into a group of primaries and caucuses in February that lead up to 'Super Tuesday' on March 6, when 10 states vote.